Passenger car sales up 6.06 per cent in August: SIAM

The growth of domestic passenger cars sales slowed last month, growing at just 6.06 per cent from a jump of 17.47 per cent during July, industry data showed on Thursday.

According to the data furnished by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), passenger car sale's during August stood at 163,093 units from an off-take of 153,781 units.

The data revealed that the total passenger vehicle sales, which includes cars, utility vehicles and vans, went up by 3.99 per cent to 222,476 units from 213,938 units sold in August, 2014.

However, sales of utility vehicles fell by 4.07 per cent to 44,608 units, whereas the off-take of vans rose by 8.19 per cent to 14,775 units.

The industry data for the last month reported a 7.58 per cent growth in the overall commercial vehicles segment sales, which is a key indicator of economic activity.

The commercial vehicles segment off-take for August stood at 52,198 units from 48,518 units sold during the corresponding month of 2014.

On the other hand, sales of three-wheelers receded by 12.23 per cent in the month under review at 46,124 units from 52,550 units sold in August of 2014.

Downward trend was also seen in the sales trajectory of two-wheelers last month. Two-wheelers sales tumbled by 2.98 per cent to 1,305,350 units from 1,345,506 units sold in the like month of 2014.

In contrast to the two-wheeler industry trend, Scooter off-take in August were up 15.66 per cent at 427,165 units, while motorcycle sales declined by 9.59 per cent at 823,053 units.

Exports for the month under review was higher by 8.66 per cent at 361,709 units sold abroad from 332,884 units shipped-out during August, 2014.

Notwithstanding sales abroad, total automobile sales in August was lower by 2.07 per cent at 1,626,148 units from 1,660,512 units sold in the corresponding month of 2014.